All articles tagged with #feathers
A Tel Aviv University-led study of nine Anchiornis huxleyi fossils with preserved feather colors shows irregular molt patterns and wing structure, suggesting these four-winged dinosaurs were flightless and indicating that the evolution of flight was more complex than a simple, linear path from dinosaurs to birds.
Birds are modern dinosaurs: they evolved from small, feathered theropods, with feathers likely first for insulation and display rather than flight; wings grew as bodies shrank, eventually yielding true flight—Archaeopteryx is a famous early flier about 150 million years ago. Fossils and DNA now support a post‑asteroid surge in bird diversity (owls, hawks, parrots, songbirds), while many extinct birds—terror birds, moa, elephant birds, pelagornithids—show the wider ecological roles birds once filled. Ongoing discoveries and genome studies keep refining when flight started and which dinosaurs were closest to birds.
Live Science highlights Steve Brusatte’s account of the moment feathered dinosaurs proved birds came from dinosaurs: the 1996 discovery of a small, feather-covered coelurosaur in China (Sinosauropteryx) photographed by Currie and Chen and shown to John Ostrom, who cried upon seeing it. This ‘fluffy fossil’ sparked a worldwide rush to find feathered dinosaurs, expanding the tally to numerous species and cementing the view that modern birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.
A newly developed soil-analysis technique examined 139 samples from Skateholm graves in southern Sweden (5200–4800 BCE) and uncovered perishable grave goods, including a boy buried with a woodpecker‑feather headdress and others with feathered footwear and fur garments, indicating that early hunter‑gatherers used organic materials in burial attire and suggesting widespread decorative use of feathers in Mesolithic Sweden.
Feathers emerged as the standout trend at the 2025 Gotham Awards, with stars like Rihanna, Amanda Seyfried, Zoey Deutch, and Teyana Taylor showcasing feathered outfits in various styles, from minimalistic to extravagant, highlighting the ongoing popularity of feather fashion in Hollywood.
Scientists discovered a 99-million-year-old dinosaur tail preserved in Myanmar amber, marking the first non-avian dinosaur material found in amber, providing detailed insights into soft tissues, feathers, and coloration, and offering new understanding of dinosaur evolution.
Birds, as descendants of dinosaurs, evolved feathers initially for insulation, camouflage, and display rather than flight, with their vibrant colors and complex behaviors shaped by sexual selection and sensory perception, highlighting the intricate relationship between beauty and evolutionary advantage.
A newly discovered, well-preserved Archaeopteryx fossil from Chicago provides new insights into the evolution of flight in dinosaurs, revealing soft tissues, feathers, and anatomical features that demonstrate its ability to fly, supporting the idea that flight evolved more than once in dinosaurs.
A newly discovered Psittacosaurus fossil from the early Cretaceous period provides significant insights into the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs. The fossil, which shows preserved skin with unique chemical properties under ultraviolet light, indicates a mix of scales and feathered regions. This discovery supports the idea that early feather development offered selective evolutionary advantages, enriching our understanding of how some dinosaurs transitioned into birds.
Biologists propose the "flush-pursue hypothesis," suggesting that small dinosaurs with proto-wings may have used their feathers on forelimbs and tails to visually flush out hiding prey and pursue them, similar to the foraging strategy employed by some birds. This idea is rooted in detailed field-ornithological studies and neurobiological research, and was presented in a recent scientific collaboration's paper published in Scientific Reports. The hypothesis provides a new perspective on the potential functions of feathers in the ancestors of birds.
St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia has unveiled a new version of its Hawk mascot costume, the first update in two decades. The old costume was in poor condition, with feathers falling off and difficulty in finding replacements. The new costume, designed by Calgary-based mascot firm Street Characters, was created with input from various stakeholders in the university's athletics department. Despite the absence of feathers on the new costume, the student playing the Hawk mascot expressed excitement about the smoother wing movements and the continuation of the beloved role.
Scientists have discovered a way to permanently transform the scales on a chicken's feet into feathers by tweaking a specific gene, providing new insight into the bird's evolutionary origins from dinosaurs. By altering the sonic hedgehog gene (Shh), researchers were able to create a cascade of developmental effects that triggered feather growth, offering new insights into the evolution of these animals. The study also sheds light on how dinosaurs may have evolved to have feathers.
Scientists at the University of Geneva have altered embryonic chickens to grow feathers instead of scales on their feet by targeting the sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene. The alteration is permanent, and the chickens' feet will remain feathery for life. The researchers say this has implications for our understanding of how animals evolved and diversified, as natural variations in Shh signaling are probably an evolutionary driver of skin appendage diversity. The study shows that a transient change in expression of one gene, Shh, can produce a cascade of developmental events leading to the formation of feathers instead of scales.
Researchers from the University of Geneva have transformed chicken scales into feathers by temporarily modifying the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene expression, revealing that significant evolutionary transitions can occur without major changes in the genome. The study sheds light on the mechanisms responsible for the wide diversity of animal forms and has important implications for understanding the evolutionary mechanisms generating the enormous diversity of animal forms observed in nature.
Researchers at the University of Geneva have discovered that it is surprisingly easy to grow feathers where there should be scales, just by affecting one gene's expression. The Sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene is responsible for the transformation of scales into feathers. A single treatment on chicken embryos when they are still in the egg is enough to trigger the formation of feathers on their feet. The Shh pathway is key to the diversity of various skin appendages in nature, as well as the evolution of birds from avian dinosaurs.